WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL CUB SCOUT SIGN-UP TRAINING INTRODUCTION RECRUITING NEW CUB SCOUTS AND PARENTS The Mission of the Boy Scouts of America: The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Vision Statement of the Boy Scouts of America: The Boy Scouts of America will prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and Law. Our organization grows nationally when each pack grows locally! While planning your recruitment efforts, keep in mind that you have the support of the National Council, the Northeast Region, the Western Massachusetts Council, and your District. Our goal, together, is to continue on the BSA Vision and: Here s how we can do it First, Give every boy the opportunity to join Scouting, and Second, To give them a quality Scouting program. WHEN TO DO RECRUITING Recruiting is year-round! The two main times are in the spring (late May) and the fall (September). Fall Recruitment: All packs should have a sign-up night scheduled for September after school starts. Most of this guide will focus on fall sign-ups, but this can also be used for Spring Recruitment: This year s preschoolers can officially join the Pack as Lions as of June 1 st. So, by having a sign-up in late May, you can concentrate your efforts on the preschool and kindergarten classes. Benefits to having these families sign up in May/June include: - It gives the new families a chance to get acquainted with the pack casually over the summer. - The new boys can get a head start, especially if they go to Day Camp. - A new Lion and Tiger leaders can be recruited and trained in the summer, making September go much more smoothly. - The new Lion and Tiger Dens can start selling popcorn early with the rest of the pack. Note: spring recruitments should be used as a supplement to fall recruitments; not a replacement. Also, if your pack recruits in the spring, make sure the new boys have several activities over the summer.
PLANNING FOR YOUR RECRUITING NIGHT Schedule a date, time, and location Location: Can be done in a school, but doesn t have to be. This is often successful because everyone knows where the school is. Contact the necessary person in advance in order to lock in a date. Date: Be sure to not conflict with other large school events. Note that the pack s sign-up night should not be on the school s open house night. The night should be devoted to Cub Scouts only. Open houses have too many other things going on. Setting up an informational table at a school s open house works well, but it should be designed to invite parents to the sign-up night. The sooner you schedule a date (at least tentatively) with district, the better we can help prepare for it. District support: There will be someone from the district to help out with your signup. Use this person as you wish; they can help with the program, registration, or just be an extra person to answer questions. This person will collect the council copy of the applications and registration fees that night and turn them in to the council office for you the next day. AREAS TO CONSIDER WHEN PROMOTING YOUR SIGN-UP 1. School Newsletters 2. Other Activities (i.e. little league) 3. School Contacts 4. Church Bulletins 5. Your Chartering Organization 6. Your local Troop and/or Crew 7. Newspapers (including local papers) 8. Radio 9. Websites: BeaScout.org, community websites, chartering org. s website 10. Peer-to-Peer Recruiting (download recruiting card templates at scouting.org/marketing) 11. Lawn Signs 12. Posters 13. Boy Talks: In-school presentations usually performed by the District Executive and/or a Pack leader. The best way is to go from room to room, talking to the boys for less than 5 minutes. Talking to the school as a whole during lunch is the next best thing, and usually easier to get permission for. Either gets the boys enthused about the program. 14. Flyers FLYERS 1. Get your sign-up night information to your DE or District Membership Chairperson as soon as possible. The council office will make and tailor flyers for your sign-up. 2. Use parent/school contacts to get flyers into teachers hands to be distributed in sufficient time prior to the sign-up night. 3. It can help to have the principal or another administrator be willing to emphasize the importance of handing the flyers out. 5. We will need to know: how many flyers to make. The school will be able to tell you how many boys are in each grade (and each classroom). 6. If more than one pack is recruiting from the same school, you may want to have both packs listed on the flyer. The school will appreciate one less flyer! 7. Information listed on the back of the flyer can include incentive items for joining, more information about your pack, and information on other packs in the area.
8. Helpful Hint: When delivering flyers to a school, include a personalized letter from the pack thanking them for their support. WHEN TO PROMOTE THE SIGN-UP When advertising in newspapers, church bulletins, etc., plan to put the information out several weeks in advance. Posters should go up as soon as school starts, and lawn signs usually go up a week before the sign-up night. Flyers should be distributed 1 week prior to the sign-up. SETTING UP THE ROOM 1. IMPORTANT: Have tables or areas designated and marked for each grade/rank. (This will make it easier when recruiting a new Lion or Tiger leader!) 2. Have materials to hand out as families walk in, or have them on the tables. Have a sign-in sheet at the entrance. 3. Set up displays around the room. 4. If at all possible, have a separate room available to take the boys to play games while the program is discussed with the parents. This will allow you to have the parents attention while the kids have fun. MATERIALS TO HAVE AT THE SIGN-UP 1. Cub Scout and Adult Registration forms 2. Sign-in sheet 3. Boys Life samples 4. Materials for games 5. Pack Calendar and budget items 6. The Pack and Den Resource Guide to show to the new Tiger Leaders (and the Lion Cub Leader Guidebook for Lion leaders) 7. Optional: Include a Parent-Talent survey for each new parent to complete that night. This can give you a better idea of resources available to you. 8. Upcoming New Leader Training dates WHO SHOULD BE AT THE SIGN-UP 1. Cubmaster 2. Committee Chair 3. Den Leaders 4. Bring the Treasurer or someone with access to the pack account, to the sign-up. This speeds up the process. 5. Chartering Organization Representation (they need to sign the new adult applications) 6. 5 to 6 scouts could be cub scouts and/or Den Cheifs (utilize your Troop Their future lies in your current success!) 7. THE SALESMAN/SALESLADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make sure the person doing most of the talking is enthusiastic!
THE RECRUITING NIGHT.BE PREPARED! 1. OPENING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 2. INTRODUCE LEADERS AND SHOW VIDEO (optional) 3. TAKE BOYS TO SEPARATE AREA AFTER IT IS EXPLAINED THAT YOU WILL BE TALKING TO THEIR PARENTS FOR A WHILE. 4. WHILE SEPARATED FROM THE PARENTS, THE BOYS WILL BE INTRODUCED TO A GAME OR GAMES - Suggestion: have them work on the Bobcat badge or a beltloop something that they can earn for their next meeting (instant recognition!) 6. WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW OF THE PACK AND A DEN. 7. PACK CALENDAR Even if it s tentative. This is important to show future events that families can plan and look forward to. 8. PACK BUDGET (FINANCING) Shows how participating in the popcorn sale as soon as they join results in most of the pack activities being paid for. 9. ORGANIZATION OF A CUB SCOUT PACK New parents should join your pack with the understanding that parent involvement is expected. This is a family program. Their son will get more out of the program when the parent puts more into it. There is something that everyone can do to help the pack. Also note that siblings are welcome to pack activities. 10. DISCUSS TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES: online, and organized training dates in the district. Note: Youth Protection Training is required for all registered leaders. 11. COMPLETE APPLICATIONS: Give parents a chance to ask questions and complete the youth applications. Encourage all adults to sign up, too! Instruct them to turn them in with payment to the person(s) who is collecting them. If they are not prepared to pay for the registration, collect the application and mark unpaid on it. 12. RECRUIT YOUR NEW LEADERS: While applications are being completed, go talk to your first-grade parents (they ll all be at the same table since you set up the room that way!). Helpful hints: - Say that you need two leaders (for every 1 new Den). They can act as co-leaders or one can be the assistant. People are more likely to step up and help if they know they are not alone. - Explain the benefits and the resources (i.e. other pack leaders and Pack and Den Resource Guide). Include the fact that you ll have more say as to when and where the meetings will be if you re the leader. - Have last year s Lion or Tiger Den Leader speak from experience. Some packs have had success by having someone from the pack (often the Wolf leader) run the Tiger Den s first meeting (or last year s Lion leader run the first meeting for this year s Lion den. - Give the new leader the Pack and Den Resource Guide. - DO NOT GIVE UP AT LEAST GET A MAYBE THAT NIGHT.
13. HAVE NEW LEADERS FILL OUT THE ADULT REGISTRATION FORM. The adult application must be completely filled out, including the Criminal Background Check page. The CR and CC must also sign the application. 14. RETURNING APPLICATIONS TO THE COUNCIL OFFICE: The district representative will take care of this for you. BE PREPARED TO SUBMIT THE COUNCIL COPY OF THE APPLICATION WITH PAYMENT TO THE DISTRICT REP. MYTH: The Council just wants the registration money. TRUTH: The Council doesn t even get a dime of the registration money. It is forwarded to the National office. The boy cannot participate in future activities until he is registered. If he does participate before the application is turned in, the boy is not covered by insurance, nor can they advance. YOU and your CHARTERING ORGANIZATION are liable. Payment: Registration fees are set by BSA National and are pro-rated monthly, so be sure to check with the council office to verify the current fees. Your pack may choose to charge another amount in order to cover pack dues. You may also consider collecting the full registration for the following year. This keeps the pack from having to collect this registration again in December at charter renewal time. Families should make their check to the pack, and the pack should make one check for the total amount to: Western Massachusetts Council, BSA. Note: If a family has turned in an application, but did not yet pay for it, the application can either be held at the council office until the pack gives us the ok to process it, or the pack may choose to pay for the application with pack funds and then get reimbursed. It s up to you just let us know. LET S GIVE EVERY FAMILY THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THE FUN OF CUB SCOUTS!!!
Make it EASY for New Scouting Families to Find You! BeAScout.org is the application that puts your Pack, Troop or Crew on the map! Potential Scouts and volunteers can go to BeAScout.org to find Scouting in their neighborhood. If your unit s pin is up to date they ll find you! Raise Your Pack, Troop or Crew s Profile in the Community Recruit More Youth and Volunteers and Help Grow Scouting Customize your Google pin with contact information, photo, special message and even your unit Web site. Our council s goal is to have all our unit pins updated by September 1 in time for Scout Nights. Don t wait. Follow these simple steps and update your pin today! Cubmasters, Scoutmasters, pack and troop committee chairs: Sign in to MyScouting On the MyScouting homepage, click BeAScout in the Unit Tools section of the left menu Click Unit Pin Management at the top of the BeAScout Homepage Update your unit info!